Why Soaring's Safety Record Doesn't Improve

"JJ Sinclair" wrote in message
...
Ever ask yourself, why doesn't our safety record improve? We seem to have
the
same type and about the same number of accidents every year. Lets take the
*controls not hooked up*, its about time for another one of those. Every
year a
couple of guys will try to fly without hooking up a control. This type
accident
is 100% preventable. Why can't we put a stop to it? The answer is simple,
we
don't have the power to control it. The airlines wouldn't put up with it.
The
military would have no problem in eliminating it. Clubs have the power to
stop
it. How about the individual sailplane owner? We got the power to control
his/her actions? No we don't and just try and get a little muscle and
listen to
the screams. I tried to get the *wing tape sign off* adopted by asking my
local
FBO's to refuse to give a tow unless the tow pilot saw a wing tape sign
off on
each sailplane wing. I got ZERO replies from the 5 FBO's I asked to try
the
plan and several of them had experienced accidents caused by controls not
hooked up.

Our safety record will not improve because we don't have the power to
enforce
rules designed to make soaring safer.
JJ Sinclair

I'm convinced that safety can't be found in stricter rules or inspections.
The very nature of flight is that it takes place beyond the reach of these.
Safety is in the attitude and skillset of the individual pilot. Danger lies
between the ears of the pilot, not in the hardware or rulebook.

This is a classic cautionary tale of misdirected concern.

When I was a student pilot long ago, you would see pilots shaking the
wingtips of their wooden gliders up and down at the resonant frequency of
the wing while staring at the sweep second hand of their wris****ches. The
idea was that the natural frequency would change if the strength of the wing
deteriorated. They were REALLY worried about old wood wings.

One day a wing failed and two died. The FAA and NTSB took the separated
wing to a lab and measured its strength. They found it had failed at 14
G's. The pilot and his passenger didn't die from a defective wing, they
died of terminal stupidity. The pilot simply overloaded a perfectly good
wing while attempting aerobatics. I'll bet right up to the point the wing
broke he was sure he was safe because he was a wing shaker.

The next time you fly, take a second to look at the hand holding the stick.
Life and death is right there. Move it a couple of inches the wrong way and
you die. If you find that thought uncomfortable, find a good instructor to
fly with.

Bill Daniels